Forward Progress [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright that will be a good thing for you to think about how I've been with Moses and I'll be with you, but is not an invitation to nostalgia or mere sentimentality. It's just I don't know maybe I'm just sentimental person, but it's just so tempting to about the past and more sentimental nostalgia ways and it is in the ways this designed by God to build our faith for today excited for you, you the teaching today.

In the series forward is presented in an old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today, to make sure you know how to get our special source right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer.

Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor at an.large E or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright. The good news you have come farther than you think you've made more for progress, then perhaps you realize life, especially after a long pandemic and all that we've been through has a way of making you feel like you been, not backwards, but I want to show you today a kingdom principal as we continue thinking about the simple idea of Ford and we returned to the story of the promised land. And I want you to see that the idea of being a conqueror in Christ does not mean that at any moment. There's not still territory in front of you speaking of the metaphor of the kingdom, and it does not mean that you're not also face strenuous times of of of being sent back of the coming battle weary, but you have made it further than you realize. And with God. You don't go backwards so last time we were putting this image in front of you.

Egypt and a promised land where they were slaves and that what was needed with the come through a parted Red Sea and that the Red Sea that opens up and to move in to, but not staying in a wilderness so that then they could come into the promised land that what the people did was that they came in, set 12 spies and found themselves hearing a bad report from 10 of them and so they turn back from the promised land, and they spent 40 years wandering there. They were afraid that they wouldn't be him to take the land and that they would die in the process. Their fear came upon them because though the land was most surely they errors the fact that they were afraid to take it and turn back left them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years so they didn't take the land and they died there in that wilderness and so what happens when Joshua leads them into the promised land. It is a a wonderful adventure and they come into the promised land and the promised land itself is a beautiful land I think is her slide next to it.

It's it's it's a land flowing with milk and honey you can't see the name the cities but is going to start on the east side of the Jordan and the great comfort to their battle of Jericho and its image will show you little bit about how the campaign flowed first through Jericho and then I and they go on to a southern military campaign and then go into a northern military campaign. What's interesting though is with all of the conquest that Joshua leads that it comes at the time of his death there still much land still to be taken.

So this next image shows you all this pink area that has been conquered and all the green is part of what God has said this is your land, but it's yet to be taken even if Joshua's death, and in fact it'll be through the story of the judges that lead that there are more battles and some land is taken, but it won't be until the time of David much later when he expands the borders of Israel that all of that will ever be there to even Joshua, the great general. He comes to the end of his life, and there is much more land to be occupied. The principal and the kingdom is about celebrating and having your faith built by the forward progress I want you to see this as a prophetic image for your own life.

So let's start in Joshua chapter 1 here comes God's motivational speech to his new general after verse one after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of non-Moses his assistant, Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise, and go over this Jordan you and all this people into the land that I am giving them to the people of Israel. So here's Joshua and it's the biggest moment of his life and he needs motivation like never before, and some years ago I preached a whole sermon just on this because it is surprising what would be God's first words to motivate Joshua look at it again verse two Moses my servant is dead.

What kind of motivation is that you gotta remember that Moses was Joshua's mental or spiritual father and everything in Joshua had not only respect but affection for Moses the whole of the people have been grieving Moses is dead. Joshua certainly had been in here because God to tell them Moses is dead. Have you ever noticed the Lord doesn't speak in the kind of euphemisms that we do you know where they didn't, say, Moses has passed on to glory Moses his has finished his journey and graduated his gun, Moses is dead.

Thank you Lord for that information. What seems particularly painful about it is that Joshua had always counted on Moses and Moses had been so used of the Lord that were told in the Scripture that there really was no one that it ever been like Moses, that the Lord spoke to as if face-to-face and Joshua left him. Moses says Moses was a man who had so much anointing in his life that God did continued signs and wonders through him. He had this incredible symbol of the staff that once was held up in a Red Sea parted and was held up once in a battle, and the people continued to win and so this is grievous and yet somehow important because it is to say, Joshua. This is a different day and a different ministry and you are a different man to say Moses is dad is to say, Joshua Moses is no longer here, but you are in love and sometimes the death of what you've counted on in this world for your security or whatever you have counted on so that you didn't have to be in the lead when that is gone. Sometimes that in its grief is actually the mark of the best season of your life because it was to say that Moses is my servant, and I interacted directly with Moses. Moses is dad and Joshua.

You are my man and advice Joshua, I think, into a new dimension of his relationship with God. It is to say Joshua you are qualified.

Like Paul said to the Colossians you have been qualified for your inheritance in the saints. It is to say that when you look back on Moses with grief and fondness and and memory that brings courage to your heart that will be a good thing for you to think about how I've been with Moses and I'll be with you, but is not an invitation to nostalgia or mere sentimentality ill.

It's just I don't know maybe I'm just sentimental person, but it's just so tempting to think about the past and more sentimental, nostalgic ways than it is in the ways that's are designed by God to build our faith for today is Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series better marriage. You don't need marketing you need more good news. Marriages like people are changed by human effort or even planning principles change by the gospel of grace sessions and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. A simple grayscale process that makes great communication discover the freedom of forgiveness in the shower of celebration to learn how to pray for your staff bless one another with ground when you're in the video series licensing gives you copies of the company is going through some special challenges find powerful transformational tree for your marriage.

Marriage the grace of God. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries.

This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today we look for a special offer. We are happy for Misty as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor. Our.work.

Today's teaching you once again is Alan Wright like our daughter Abby. Now we got her moved out to Washington DC in Loma Kidron so and started cleaning out Abby's old room and asked Abby, can I just throw some things away. She's at your mom, you know nothing don't go treasure away the know so as going through stuff right now and every answer, and if they look at this and be some no school notebook or some piece of art or something you know you and you just need to take a look and and everything within the others. This like tug-of-war between this sentimental feeling that just says those were wonderful days when the kids were here and they were young.

You know, and that in and of itself can just lead into a kind of sadness or a yearning for something that can't be what God wants us to do with memory is to see where he has been and our lives so we give him thanks and to recall his faithfulness so that we will have new faith for today that's what you do with it. Moses is dad, and you gonna have to move on. It was an announcement of Joshua's promotion and from this point. This astounding verse that comes that you could spend a year contemplating verse three every place that the sole your foot will tread upon I have given to you. Just as I promise to Moses this is a marvelous image because in the first place. The future and the past meet in this one statement every place that your foot will tread upon as future tense. I have given to you. That's past tense. There is a way that God can give you something that's already been given to you, and yet you are appropriating it step-by-step so on the one hand you absolutely it's already your hair inheritance and on the other hand, you are appropriating it. This is the nature of inheritance, just in natural terms. Inheritance is something that is yours but you may not have it yet in your account, and spiritual inheritance is like this is like that image of taken the promised land. So the image here is that Joshua you take a step, I've already given you that land that your inheritance but as you take that step.

It's yours if you take another step that yours is a picture of appropriating now what it already been laid up as the inheritance of the people of God. There is exhibit at Epcot theme park in Orlando which celebrates the imagination and two images came to mind wonders off floor. There that looks like ordinary carpet squares. But when you step on it each place you step your foot lights up.

The light is already there.

The energy is already there. You do not make it light up. You just step in the light that's already there, is activated in that same exhibit area there is a screen and it is the cartoon figure called figment, which is a symbol of imagination and there are musical instruments on the screen and when you wave your hand like a conductor.

The music on the screen starts playing and if you way faster. The music goes faster. You're not making the music you're not making the images, but your participation and it is appropriating the energy that is already there and this is a mystery, but this is the way it is in all spiritual progress you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Paul says, have we appropriated all of that. No, and some of this, we will not appropriate, we will not enjoy fully until heaven and told there's a new heaven and new earth, but the image is like that of Joshua in the promised land. You keep just taken the next there. There are ways that I enjoy and understand and revel in the blessing of God. Now that I didn't 10 years ago. There are ways that we grow with every single step that we take it as a picture to say, every place you step your foot. It is given to you has been given to you is also to say there is a mystery in which sovereignty and human responsibility meet. There is a way that God can be sovereign and lay out the inheritance that has nothing to do with your merits and yet at the same time you are involved in the process. It means that there is a way in which let's say in the mystery of the way that God saves people.

There is absolutely nothing that I are you in your words could ever do to save anybody right my words never saved anybody your words never saved anybody we are saved by the gift of God in Jesus Christ alone. And Paul even says we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world you understand a mystery like this. St. Paul, who said that those that God foreknew he predestined this St. Paul is a one says. How could people ever be saved if we don't tell them so every place that your foot will step I have given to you. Take their ministries that God has for you. And the reason he does is because it already has laid the fruit of that ministry and as you open up your mouth. Use B are you open up your hand you get you open up your heart and you care.

There is a way in which God's sovereign purposes meet up with your responsiveness to his grace.

And that's how it happens every place you step your foot. The inherited was just as sure for the previous generation that wandered in the wilderness and died when they decided not to step their foot, and take it. Joshua died and there still was a bunch of territory today. What you do. Keep taking the next and it is the say that there is therefore no way to get beyond here without taking this step. I like the other this way like Jericho was the first city to fall in their military campaign and then they would face. I which initially they had a real defeat and then a victory, and then they would head south and there were many times where they did not know what their next battle or adventure would even be until they taken the first few steps. In other words if their 10 steps, you may not even be able to see what 10 looks like you taken one and two and three. You may have to walk through the valley and get up to a mountaintop. You can even see the next mound. There is no way to the farther reaches of the promised land except for step right now and so they did was it one more thing about this lecture.

Two more things about this verse other thing is that when it says every place that you step your foot. It has been given to you. I want you know, in Hebrew, the you is in the plural. This is why we need a southern translation of the Bible because then it would've appropriately translated every place y'all step dollars feet is being given that all y'all because a beer with Joshua and you step in with him is for every body not just the leader which means a lot to me since Jesus is our Yeshua Allen Wright are good news message today. Forward progress for all y'all from the series forward. Please stay with this pastor Alan is back joining me in the studio shearing is reporting good news thought for the day. In just a moment, the better marriage you don't need marketing you need more good news. Marriages like people are changed by human effort or even principles change by the gospel of grace sessions and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. A simple grayscale process that makes great communication easy to discover the freedom of forgiveness celebration will also learn how to pray for your blessed one another with ground when you're in the video series losses and gives you copies of the company is going through some special challenges find powerful transformational tree is for your marriage.

Marriage the grace of God. The gospel is shared when you get right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today we look for any special offer. We are happy to see Misty Ramzi Banks from Alan Wright Ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and got a work blessing your life grayscale's free grace and encouraging daily blessing is free.

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Pastor got away. I would pass traveling reporting good news thought for the day. Pastor Alan with her close in football when you run the ball or catch it and start running with it. If there are 10 opponents that tackle you hard and push you back 10 yards in football. The rules are the riff picks up the ball moves it back up to the point of your forward progress you get tackled so hard that it feels like the winds been knocked out of you and life feels that way sometimes, but you always get your forward progress so only with this thought that once Joshua conquered Jericho and then they went and got defeated at I didn't mean that they lost Jericho. You always get your for progress and real living in the kingdom is like that. Sometimes it feels.

I blabbed I'm not back but if you will look in the spirit and look with eyes of faith.

I think what you will realize is you've come farther than you think. By the grace of God. You come farther than you think and you don't have to go backwards. You always are given in the gospel for progress.

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